Dramatic Swings in March Temperature

NOAA's temperature outlook for late March

Following the last few days of cooler than average weather, temperatures will start to feel more like late March today as high temperatures climb to near 60 degrees.  Sunday’s high temperature of 44 degrees at National Airport was more characteristic of late January than mid-March.  By tomorrow, temperatures will feel more like April as the low 70s envelop the DC Metro Region. 

Some of Washington, D.C.’s western and northern suburbs saw snow over the weekend while parts of the Delmarva Peninsula had snow early yesterday.  Washingtonians have had late season snow on other occasions in recent years too.  In fact, when 1.7 inches of snow fell at National Airport on March 25, 2014, a new record for the date was set.  Fortunately, for those tired of cold and snow, the weather pattern has turned the corner and more spring-like weather is on tap for the remainder of the week. 

Although big temperature swings frequently occur in the spring, dramatic temperature swings sometimes happen in just 24 hours.  A good example occurred on March 9 when the high temperature at Dulles Airport reached a record 82 degrees.  That was after a low temperature of 39 degrees that made for a 43-degree swing in daily temperature.  BWI Airport observed a 42-degree fluctuation in daily temperature on March 9 in what was Baltimore’s largest difference between daily high and low temperature since 2011.  Meanwhile, National Airport had a 32-degree difference between their high and low temperature (or “diurnal” temperature variation) on the same day.

  

The cooler than average weather the last few days in the Nation’s Capital has caused this month’s average temperatures to go from being 8.6 degrees warmer than average on March 19 to being 6.8 degrees warmer than average through March 21.  Monthly temperatures are a running average of daily high and low temperatures.  This month is poised to finish as one of the warmest March’s on record in the Mid-Atlantic Region as NOAA says there is a 40% chance of warmer than average temperatures for much of the eastern United States during the final week of March.

Warmest March’s on Record (Degrees Fahrenheit)

Washington, D.C.

1.  56.8 (2012)
2.  56.2 (1945)

3.  55.5 (1921)            
4.  53.0 (1946)
5.  52.7 (1977)                              
6.  51.9 (2016 through March 21)

Baltimore, Maryland

1.  55.7 (1945)

2.  54.6 (1921)

3.  53.7 (2012)

4.  53.0 (1946)

5.  50.2 (1929)
14.  48.5 (2016: five-way tie through March 21)

Dulles Airport, Sterling, Virginia

1.  54.3 (2012)

2.  49.5 (2010)

3.  49.1 (2016 through March 21)

4.  48.9 (1977)

5.  48.6 (1973)